Friday, December 28, 2007

144:1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,who trains my hands for war,and my fingers for battle;2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,my stronghold and my deliverer,my shield and he in whom I take refuge,who subdues peoples under me.

3 O Lord, what is man that you regard him,or the son of man that you think of him?4 Man is like a breath;his days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!Touch the mountains so that they smoke!6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;send out your arrows and rout them!7 Stretch out your hand from on high;rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,from the hand of foreigners,8 whose mouths speak liesand whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,10 who gives victory to kings,who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.11 Rescue me and deliver mefrom the hand of foreigners,whose mouths speak liesand whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 May our sons in their youthbe like plants full grown,our daughters like corner pillarscut for the structure of a palace;13 may our granaries be full,providing all kinds of produce;may our sheep bring forth thousandsand ten thousands in our fields;14 may our cattle be heavy with young,suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;may there be no cry of distress in our streets!15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

All my war is metaphorical. Unlike David or the Psalmist if it was not him, I have not fought to destroy another person, something that in a strange way would need a power greater than we possess in and of ourselves. The war that rages around me is mostly relationally. Perhaps that is why a movie light Fight Club has so much appeal.

My battles are fought with words. Recognizing the feelings and drives of myself and others and attempting to create positive change around them. But what does it all amount to? Even a breath? Even all our struggle and strife the only thing that truly makes a difference in this world is a new Kingdom established by God. Where all the work I am doing and have done has signficance, where the true meaning of it all is exposed, and where all my unrigheous motivation melts away.

May that day come! The kings will celebrate, the people will sing, ther will not be a people who do not know the wonder and glory of God. Children will grow in strength with plenty of food to eat, not a toss up whether they survive (like lots of places in the world) or end up strung out or crazy. The land will not be violated, but will bear fruit and food without effort. The street will be a safe place.